Last week or the week before -- I don't know they all run together these days . . . I took the littles to the pumpkin patch. It was fun! We had a great time. We ran into some friends that Emma went to school with last year and the girls enjoyed playing with them. All was well until Nate came over to join in the action and play with all of the girls ...... and WHAM! One of the little girls (8 years-old) pushed Nate away and said "Ewwwwww - I don't want to catch your diabetes".

Say what?

I know what your thinking -- your thinking that I calmly corrected the little girl and educated her on how Type 1 is an autoimmune disease, you can't catch it and Nate is just a normal little boy that happens to have diabetes. Well my friend, you would be wrong! I stood there red-faced, teary-eyed and stunned. No words came out.

Lucky for me my 7-year old, Emma corrected the little girl and told her she could NOT catch diabetes!

Thank you, Emma for stepping up when Mommy was rendered speechless.

I'm thinking I need to work on my 'you can't catch diabetes' speech.

How do you explain to children that you can't catch diabetes? Do you have a rehearsed speech to explain type 1 to inquisitive children? Would you mind sharing some tips with me?

Keep calm and educate on . . .

This post was written as part of NHBPM – 30 health posts in 30 days: http://bit.ly/vU0g9J

7
comments:

Great post Laura! I'm sure I'd have been rendered speechless as well...fortunately we haven't had to deal with that (yet...I'm sure the day will come). I wish I could say I have a prepared speech or some tips, but I don't....so I'll be watching the comments and figuring it out along the way :)

Rendered speechless is probably preferable compared to what I would have said, even though she is a mostly innocent 8 year old who doesn't know any better. Sometimes my mouth just starts talking before my brain catches up :)

That's sad. Kids can be so cruel and it's hard that it seems to be starting so early. No, we've not had to deal with this. Kortnie was 5 when dx'd, she and her sister missed 2 weeks of school and the kids missed them, the school and teachers told them what was going on, and ever since then we've been quick to address the D situation at the beginning of each school year. I guess we're lucky to live in a small community where everyone knows everyone mostly, so we don't run into that. Poor Nate! I realize it's different for him beause he doesn't do school yet, so he can't show them what it's all about. How wonderful of you daughter to step up and take care of her brother. And like you momma, I would have either sat there speechless, or I'd of ripped into that girl and gotten myself in trouble probably.